Saint Iggy / by K.L. Goings

.
High-minded claims of a disadvantaged youth would be hard-pressed to top Iggy Corso. Had by a crack-addict mother, his prospects were dim even prior his birth; having only depreciated with age as the destructive lifestyles of his derelict parents have kept him underfunded, undernourished and undereducated; not to mention under constant harassment from landlords, thieves and drug-dealers (his parents absent or indisposed most of the time). Life away from home is just as bad. Held back twice, suspended eight times and currently failing for a third consecutive term, Iggy's impending interview with the school superintendent is his last chance before he's kicked out for good.

Realizing his only chance for "any" future is to stay in school, Iggy resolves to make the most of things, seeking out his only reliable friend, Mo, for support. A drug user by profession, Mo is anything but Iggy's social equal; hailing from a wealthy upper-class background, his situation is one of choice obstinacy rather than misfortune. A law school dropout, his "minimalist" lifestyle--not unsimilar to Iggy's--would workout well were it not for his drug habit landing him in financial straits (debts to dealers); a problem now forcing him into the undesirable task of asking his mother for money. An entirely new dilemna now emerges for Iggy as, having accompanied Mo across town to his mom's grandiose apartment, he's made the buffer between a resentful Mo and his fearful but forgiving mother.